My Friends Make Me Happy! (Giggle Gang)

"Yay! Look who's coming! My friends!" cheers Sheep on the title page of this high-energy addition to Thomas's Giggle Gang series. After Donkey, Bear, and Duck show up, Sheep drops a question on them: "Can you guess what makes me happy?" Readers will probably infer the answer from the book's title, but the other animals are stumped, even after Sheep hints that the answer begins with an F. ("Turnips!" shouts Duck, not getting it at all.) Thanks to mounting frustration at all of the wrong guesses, Sheep looks as frazzled as can be while eventually yelling "My friends make me happy!" As always, Thomas's thick-lined cartooning brings over-the-top emotion to each scene: readers young and old will recognize the truth that friendship can be both wonderful and exhausting. Simultaneously available: My Toothbrush Is Missing. Ages 4-7. (Jan.)

PreS-Gr 2--Sheep is so happy! What could be causing this unusually cheerful mood? His friends really want to know and are eager to guess. Sheep tells them it starts with the letter "f." Donkey ponders this for a few seconds and thinks fish is the secret reason. Dog seems to think a fan would make Sheep feel really happy. After giving it a lot of thought, Duck is certain that turnips make Sheep happy. Turnips?! It doesn't even start with the letter "f"! How will they ever find out what makes their friend so happy? The Giggle Gang is back with another delightful story for budding readers. This is a fun and easy book to read. The sentences are short and the text is repetitive. The size of the text is large with special words and letters in bold fonts or in bright colors to emphasize their importance. The characters are full of expressive emotions. From happy to aggravated, children will be able to recognize how the characters are feeling. VERDICT Even young readers who are not familiar with Thomas's earlier books and characters will find this story entertaining. A great step toward independent reading that children will want to read again and again.--Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA